“KAHVE” is an intimate theater performance, a warm invitation to experience the history, political, social, and economic power of coffee in an immersive theatrical way during the preparation of a cup of coffee. Binaural sound recording of music and text, smell, movement, and narration come together on stage.
Coffee is a migrant, born and raised in countries miles away, which we can now associate with our lifestyle and sometimes even with a “national identity” (Greece, Turkey, Italy, etc.). The conditions under which and where the coffee beans are produced, who profits from them, and how they end up in our cups are rarely questioned.
With this performance, K&A pay tribute to coffee and investigate the social and political conditions that have led to the practice of drinking coffee. Fascinated by how multiple cultures have embraced this drink and integrated it into their cultural identity, K&A explore its origins and development.
Between history and fiction, legends and myths, the audience follows the journey of the coffee bean and coffee itself through time and space.
About the sound of the performance
In “KAHVE,” the spectator listens to the composition through headphones that have been recorded binaurally. Binaural audio mimics the way human ears capture sound waves. By using this technique, sounds are placed in three dimensions, providing the listener with a fully immersive experience. Binaural audio places the listener in the middle of the recording location, thus creating a 360° sonic bubble.
“Because goats danced in the moonlight, because monks fell asleep praying, because the Turks attacked Austria, because Mohammed IV sent an embassy to Louis XIV, because the English drank hard, a new historical engine appeared... this is how we might sum up the prodigious adventure of coffee”
Heinrich Eduard Jacob - L’épopée du café
Cast & Credits
Concept, text & performance: K&A, Karla Isidorou & Alexandra Bellon
Music composition, recording & live music: Alexandra Bellon
Soundmix: Alessandro Mazzieri
Technical support: Andries van Duijvenbode & Harwin Wegner
All-round support: Kishan Buldao Rai
Video: Karla Isidorou
Soundtrack video: Alexandra Bellon
Kafetzou: Desi Komninou
Special guest: Kees van Leeuwen
Quotes & references & coffee reading images (warmly advised to read):
“Turkish Coffee in Greece” by Ilias Petropoulos, “L’Épopée du Café” by H.E. Jacob, “The Devil’s Cup history of the world according to coffee” by Stewart Lee Allen, “Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World” by Mark Pendergrast and many more books that passed by our tables.
Coproduction: Theater Ins Blau, Stichting Public Frequencies, cie K&A
Partners: Rithymna Leiden, B&B Tuk aan de Vliet
Special thanks to Chryssa Panagiotopoulou, Mirjam Hensgens, Kees van Leeuwen and the whole team of Theater Ins Blau, and to all those that drunk multiple cups of coffee’s with us sharing, thinking exchanging and supporting us in creating the experience of KAHVE.
This project “KAHVE” was made possible with financial support from Fonds 21
Upcoming Dates
There is no Event
Past Dates
Rotterdam, 3061 HV Netherlands

Ulvenhout, 4851 CN Netherlands

Alkmaar, 1822BH Netherlands

Alkmaar, 1822BH Netherlands

Alkmaar, 1822BH Netherlands

Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT Netherlands

Aalsmeer, 1431 CV Netherlands












